Traumatised survivors of the Christchurch earthquakes benefited from taking daily doses of vitamins and minerals, a new study has found. Research by the University of Canterbury showed that stress, trauma, anxiety and depression for people who suffered post-quake psychological distress "improved markedly" after taking daily doses of micronutrients for a month-long period. Associate professor of psychology Julia Rucklidge led the four-week study on 91 members of the public just 10 weeks after the February 22, 2011 disaster, which claimed 185 lives. "We found that under high stress following a natural disaster it would be beneficial to take a supplement to compensate for the nutrient depletion that occurs when the body is dealing with chronic stress," Prof Rucklidge said.